FOR WE ARE JOURNEYING
Autobiography of Richard Yerby
Dedicated to each of you kind and generous souls who
has bestowed any degree of kindness upon
me since the day I was born. Thank God for the vast
multitude of you who have done so. I pray for our Gracious Lord to Abundantly and Richly bless you daily.
You (and my Lord God) have made me most desirous to bestow all the kindness I
possibly can on everyone I possibly can, as I journey to the Celestial
City.
WE ARE JOURNEYING
HEAR, I PRAY YOU
A MAN CHILD IS BORN
(My parents, their
marriage, the births of their 4 children, and my life up until I start the 1st
grade of elementary school at the beginning of September 1952.)
MAY LEARN
(From
the time I enter the 1st grade of Vernon Elementary School at the beginning
of September 1952 up to Mother’s death just over 1 year and 7 months later in
March 1954.)
THE STING OF DEATH
(My
Mother’s death in March 1954.)
THE GOD OF ALL
COMFORT
(From
Mother’s death in March 1954 until I start the 5th grade of
elementary school in September 1956.)
DESPAIRED EVEN OF LIFE
(From the beginning of my 5th grade of school in
September 1956, until I start the 7th grade
entering junior high school in September 1958. Daddy and we his sons tear down
our old shack and build a new house for our family. Daddy remarries.)
AND THE CHILD GREW
(My
3 years of junior high school, grades 7 thru 9, starting at the beginning of
September 1958 and ending at the end of May 1961, and the following summer of
1961.)
GIVE ME NEITHER POVERTY NOR RICHES
(My 3 years of high
school, grades 10 thru 12, graduating at the end of May 1964.)
HE IS OF AGE
(From the beginning of June
1964 thru Christmas 1964 and thru New Year’s holidays 1965.
Daddy unceremoniously totally releases me from his strict dominion over me, his
son. I begin to work for wages to earn money for college.)
OUT…FROM THY FATHER’S HOUSE
(From
the time I depart Daddy’s house for Auburn, Alabama early that frosty morning
about 6 January 1965, till a Saturday morning in late February 1965, relaxing
in the lounge of the Student Union Building at Auburn University, a time of
reflection and a milestone in my life.)
FORGET ALL MY TOIL, AND ALL MY FATHER’S HOUSE
(A
snowy, leisurely Saturday morning in late February 1965 on Auburn University’s
campus. A time of deep reflection.)
THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL
(From
early January 1965 to the end of Spring Quarter at Auburn University in early
June 1966.)
ALL THINGS ARE FULL OF LABOUR
(From early June 1966 until the 1st
week of January 1967.)
(From
the 1st week of January 1967 till late
September 1967. I am seriously injured. It takes months to recover.)
(My junior year at Auburn University, September 1967 thru May
1968.)
STRENGTH TO BATTLE…IN HIS YOUTH
(Summer
1968, US Army Airborne training at Ft. Benning, Georgia and then Marine Officer
Candidate School at Quantico, Virginia.)
MUCH LEARNING
(My
university senior year. From the start of the Fall Quarter at
Auburn in late September 1968 thru 23 August 1969, the day I graduate from
Auburn University.)
FORGETTING THOSE
THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND
(From
Sunday 24 August 1969 thru reporting in to The Basic School at Quantico,
Virginia in late September [likely the 23rd] 1969.)
(The
Basic School for Marine Corps junior officers’ training, Quantico, Virginia
from late September 1969 to the end of February 1970.)
COME YE…APART…AND REST A WHILE
(From
the time I left the Tiptons’ house near
Fredericksburg, Virginia on a morning at the end of February 1970 thru
reporting in at Vance Air Force Base, Enid, Oklahoma for jet pilot training at
the end of March 1970.)
(One
year of Air Force pilot training at Vance Air Force Base, Enid, Oklahoma from
early April 1970 to late March 1971.)
A TRAVELLER
(Traveling
between Vance Air Force Base, Enid, Oklahoma and Marine Corps Air Station
Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina. From the very last of March 1971 to late April
1971.)
BY THE SEA SIDE
(Marine
Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina. Part 1: From late April 1971 to the
end of September 1972.)
AMONG THIEVES, LAWLESS, HYPROCRITES, LIARS, DECEIVERS, MURDERERS,
AND OPPRESSORS
(Marine
Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina: Part 2. From the beginning of October 1972 to around the start of summer
1973.)
A CALM…AND CALLING
OF GOD
(MCAS Cherry Point, Part 3. From early summer 1973 thru
September 1973.)
A FAR COUNTRY
(From
September 1973, the day my squadron Commanding Officer at Cherry Point told me
the Marine Corps will soon send me to Japan, till I arrive at my new duty
station in Japan on 5 December 1973.)
THE IDOLS OF THE HEATHEN
(Marine
Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture,
Japan. Part 1, from 5 December 1973 thru 30 April 1974.)
THEY THAT MAKE THEM ARE LIKE UNTO THEM
(U.S.
MCAS Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Part 2. From 1 May 1974 thru 31 August
1974.)
FOLLOW ME
(U.S.
Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. Part 3. From
1 September 1974 till I board the sleeper train at Iwakuni
Station the night of 13 March 1975 to permanently depart this U.S. military
base in Japan, ending my 5 years and 5 months of full time active duty service
as a Marine Corps officer and jet pilot and starting my lifetime calling from
my God to be His missionary in Japan. This monumental “change in
life” is likely 2nd in Spiritual importance
to my conversion and salvation.)
IN A STRANGE
COUNTRY
(The night of 13 March 1974, departing from Iwakuni on the sleeper train. I bed down in that uncomfortable bouncing sleeper
berth praising God that all my past life in my native land (with all its joys
and blessing, trials and troubles) is now history. I profusely
praise God for allowing me the thrilling adventures of piloting Marine Corps
small jet warplanes in several far and wide locations on earth (including the
adventures of experiencing life in those domestic and foreign lands). I praise
and thank my Lord for keeping me safely thru all those Marine
flying dangers and that I am totally finished with that life
(alive and in good health at a prime age of life). But
much more so, I praise God for giving me a calling to preach Christ in
Japan till my earthly life ends. I feel like the most blessed human soul
on earth.)
SHALL SPEAK WITH
NEW TONGUES
(From the time
I arise from the berth on the sleeper train on the morning of 14 March 1975
till I depart Guam for Japan on Thursday 2 September 1976. The majority of that
time, I am studying the Japanese language in the missionary language school in Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.)
HE LEADETH ME
(From Thursday 2 September 1976 to Thursday 29 September 1977. I travel to the States and back to Japan, mainly to attend a
funeral in the U.S. Then I soon fly to Guam again, to preach there and to take
a missionary journey to Truk and Ponape
islands.)
SHOW ME THY WAYS,
O LORD
(From 30 September 1977 to 1 August 1978, the day I rent a house
in the town of Matsuida. During that time, I make another most blessed and fruitful trip
to Guam.)
THINK ON THESE
THINGS
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